SUNY Geneseo marked the reopening of Monroe Hall. After twelve months in design and eighteen months in construction and this 175-bed residence hall was ready to welcome students back through their newly pass-keyed doors. The doors, however, are just the beginning of the renovation shown off to the public that day.
Mach was on hand to hear the reflections of dignitaries, administration and students, including SUNY Geneseo President Christopher Dahl, President of the Monroe County Legislator, Jeffrey Adair and Senior Director of Construction for DASNY, Paul Koopman. We were proud and humbled by accolades which included “unique”, “incredible” and even “nifty”. President Dahl remarked on “celebrating an exciting feat,” and continued by describing Monroe Hall as “not a renovation… but an extreme makeover,” with “incredible spaces”.
Vice President Brian Kelley, R.A. commented:
“We embarked on the design process with the goal of bringing a contemporary influence to Monroe while delivering to the needs and expectations of today’s students. We know that incoming freshmen expect to be able to live, learn, play, work and commune under one roof.”
Our partnership with Pathfinder Engineers has put this building on the path to LEED certification by the USGBC. Dave Meyer, Partner at Pathfinder, shared some of the most interesting elements of the building, including the projection of 729,000 gallons of water conserved annually and energy models simulate energy usage at 50% better than ASHRAE-90.1. Finally we learned from Vice President for Student and Campus Life Robert Bonfiglio and Monroe Hall Resident Assistant, Michael Cooke that students are clamoring to live in this “capacious” environment which is “unique compared to other residence halls… to provide opportunities to grow, learn and discover.”
We here at Mach enjoy creating spaces in which students want to live. We are honored and proud that at SUNY Geneseo, this motto is borne out with 100% occupancy with Monroe Hall supporting both recruitment and retention.